Posts Tagged ‘ipad’

I know I’ve said this before, but just in case I haven’t typed it on DaddyTips, I firmly believe that a kiddie-lockout feature should be standard on all mobile devices, iOS and Android.

Apparently there are others who agree with me.

For IOS on the iPad, they should implement the concept of multi-user accounts and the ability to lock down features for non-administrator accounts. This would be great when a family shares an iPad, but do not want their kids mucking around in the settings, or deleting stuff.

Now, it should be noted that the Samsung Galaxy S5 has this feature, at least according to one of their TV ads:

I’m fairly certain this isn’t a new feature for some Android devices. Read through the comments on the Engadget page; a few folks get specific there.

The S5 is also “dust and water resistant”, according to this spot:

But yeah, keeping the kids away from the stuff on your phone or tablet should be a standard feature across the board. I don’t want my kids reading my email, my texts, or even seeing what apps I use. Not that I would ever use my phone for anything inappropriate. But I’d like to have the option.

Thinking about a tablet? In addition to their new kid-friendly Kindle Fire, Amazon has two new Fire HD tablets starting at only $99. Which one is right for you? Here’s a handy-dandy graphic comparing the two new low-priced models. (Note: I’m not sure why Amazon has dropped the Kindle name from the Fire HD, but as far as I can tell they have.)

Both are good options. I can’t say I’ve used either one hands on, but the price is right especially if you are an Amazon Prime member.

Maybe you have an iPad, or an Android Tablet. Or maybe even a Kindle Fire. You love it. So do your kids. They get their greasy fingerprints all over your greasy fingerprints. (Aside: tablets have got to be a germaphobe’s nightmare. All that touching…)

Called the Fire HD Kids Edition, this is not a kiddie-Kindle. It’s a full-fledged Fire HD, available with either a 6 or 7-inch display. What makes it kid-friendly are the following features:

– A “Kid-Proof Case” is included. Basically it’s a protective bumper-style case that you can buy for existing tablets, but with the Fire HD Kids Edition, you don’t have to buy it separately and you can pick between three different colors — blue, green, or pink. More important is this next bit.

– 2-Year Worry-Free Guarantee. Here is the wording from Amazon.com: “Enjoy the peace of mind with an unprecedented 2-year worry-free guarantee—if they break it, we’ll replace it for free. No questions asked.” That’s huge. Really. Kids break stuff. It happens. Usually you have to pay a bundle for an extended warranty, and if the thing actually does break you have to crawl through broken glass to get them to repair/replace it. A 2-year, no questions asked replacement policy is a sweet thing.

– One Year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited. Described by Amazon as, “a hand-curated subscription of over 5,000 kid-friendly books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, and games,” this is presumably the razor blade to the Fire razor. Get a year for free, get the kid hooked, then start making your annual tithe to Amazon after the free year is up. There’s no obligation to do so, though. Sometimes parents forget that they can say no.

That said, here are two quotes from Amazon’s site:

“FreeTime is AWESOME. Age appropriate for each kid and the parental controls are priceless. My son has to read books for 30 min each day before it unlocks videos and games.” – Valerie “I use Kindle FreeTime & it is PERFECT!!!! I can use the apps that FreeTime has, but also add other apps like Angry Birds, Temple Run, etc.” – Whitney

So you can use the tablet yourself when the kids are done with it. That’s handy. Also, as much as I prefer the idea of actually saying “you have to read a book before you can play video games”, the idea of assigning that task to a machine is… well, it’s future-thinking, it’s where we’re headed as a society (at least those who can afford it) and I like the feature. It’s not clear to me if you would still be able to use the Parental Controls/Kindle FreeTime without a subscription.

Bottom line: not a bad price for what looks like a pretty powerful and useful tablet. Available for pre-order now. Read more about it at Amazon.com, and also check out the articles below (which come from other sites and we take no responsibility for their content).

Announcer: … But order now. Supply is limited. Homer: Gasp! Limited!?!? [frantically dials the phone] Do you have any of those microphones left? Clerk: [standing in a warehouse filled to the roof with boxes of microphones] Yeah, a couple…

Now that this Kindle Fire HD Limited Deal has returned, we would forgive you for thinking, “Limited? Oh please. I can get this price anytime I want.” We can honestly say that this is not the case. We don’t recall the exact moment that the price on the device (hey, that rhymes!) went back to $199 from $159, but it did happen. And now it’s back down again.

Bottom line: if you want an Amazon Kindle Fire, you may as well get it now while Amazon is offering it to you for a cheaper price.

Check out our original DaddyDeal page for more info on the Kindle Fire HD.

Quick DaddyDeal for you — Amazon is selling the Kindle Fire HD for $159, $40 less than the regular price of $199. (We did the math for you. We’re nice that way.)

For the uninitiated, the Amazon Kindle Fire is a 7-inch color tablet. It runs Android. It is not an iPad. It is, however, less expensive, even when it is selling for its regular price of $199 rather than this $159 deal.

Usually $159 gets you the regular Kindle Fire, which has a lower-resolution screen (1024 x 600). The Kindle Fire HD has a higher-resolution screen (1280×800) — hence the HD in the name. More pixels means better image quality, nicer-looking videos and easier to read text. The Fire HD also has better audio, better wi-fi, and more internal storage than the regular Fire, sayeth Amazon. All of these are good things. Getting them for $40 less than you usually would is even better.

Gearheads / Android fans might find this little tidbit intriguing:

System Requirements

None. Kindle Fire HD is ready to use right out of the box – no setup, no software to install, no computer required to download content

“System Requirements: None.” When was the last time you saw those three words together?

Nothing against the iPad. We have one… OK, two, one is for the kids… and we love it. That said, $159 is a damn good deal.

No idea how long the deal will last, caveat shopper, disclaimers, your mileage may vary, the price may change… you know the drill. We saw this deal and wanted to share it with you. Because we’re super nice.

Now, a confession. Every time we hear the words Kindle Fire, we think of the Jimi Hendrix song “Fire.” (“Let me have your Kindle Fire…” etc.) This is known as “Weird Al Syndrome” — virtually any sequence of words can become a song parody. In this case, the Syndrome results in you getting to see this video of Jimi Hendrix performing “Fire” at the Fillmore East in 1969. Which is a very, very good thing.

Haven’t looked into the specifics yet but the concept is great. Reporting from the announcement, TechCrunch’s Greg Kumparak writes:

Hugo is running through a demo of the restricted access feature, walking through how you can limit an account to only run certain apps. Apps can even be configured to hide in-app purchase items from kids.

An account that only runs the apps you want your kids to use would be awesome.

According to the article, this feature is part of Android 4.3, which will be installed on the new Nexus 7 Android Tablet announced today by El Goog. For more, including a photo of an enormous tray of bacon, visit TechCrunch.

(Random aside from the YouTuber who posted the video: “Seriously, who struts down the sidewalk munching on a jar of peanut butter???” Never thought of that.)

Here’s the problem. When you buy a comic book, a plain ol’ dead-tree paper comic book, you have a physical object that you can resell or give away. That’s not the case with digital comics.

HOWEVER. Digital comics are SO much easier. You tap, you download, you have comics. (It’s actually a little dangerous with Apple’s in-app purchasing.) On an iPad with a retina screen, they look amazing. Even on an iPad without a retina screen, they look muy bueno. But you don’t really own anything. If the comic behind the digital sales process disappears, who you gonna call? The Digital Comics Police? Good luck with that.

For me, I draw a line. Not a line in the sand. Just a criteria. Here’s mine.

With digital comics, I’ve decided that if the price is lower than print, I’m in. If the price is MUCH lower than print, I’m all over it like Rorschach on a can of beans.

Enter Marvel Mondays. Today, April 8, 2013, the deal is a bunch of digital Runaways comics for 99 cents each. That’s a good deal. Since the site says Marvel MondayS (with an s) rather than Marvel Monday (with no s), my guess is that there will be similar sales occurring on — wait for it — future Mondays.

So you take the good, you take the bad, you them both and then you have the facts of comic book life.